Raven's Rain
by Kanon Lydia Black
Summary: A terrible death leaves a ThunderClan kit without parents and in the care of two others. But as she becomes a warrior and learns the truth, she can no longer trust the cats of ThunderClan. Her only trust lies beyond the border into a world far from her's.
1. Prolouge

**A bit different from my other stories, I decided to do a Warrior's fanfiction. I've had the idea in my head for a while and now it's time to let the wonderful public read it.**

**Most characters belong to Erin Hunter and the Warriors series**

**A few belong to me and my creativity**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

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><p>"Are you <em>mouse-brained<em>, Sandstorm?" Firestar's mew rang through the ThunderClan camp. His flame colored pelt was on end and his eyes wide. He was looking at his mate like she was crazy.

The pale ginger cat's eyes narrowed at Firestar. "No, I'm not! I want to protect my Clan. What's the harm in serving the Clan?" She voice was filled with a light anger. Squirrelflight and Leafpool sat not to far away from their parents, watching as they squabbled.

"You are serving you Clan, Sandstorm. We need you to stay here and-"Firestar was cut off by a sharp snap of words from the she-cat.

"And be completely useless. No! I will fight!" Sandstorm's green eyes burned with determination. "You can't stop me.'

Firestar's tail flicked angrily. "Sandstorm, please. Don't be so-"

"I'm not being selfish, I'm being fair! I will not sit around and do nothing while my Clan risks their life! I am one of the senior warriors. I should be out there on the front line with Graystripe, Dustpelt, and Brambleclaw. Don't leave me stuck here in camp."

Firestar said nothing. A long and hard gaze was shared between the quarreling cats. They didn't move, still as stone. The only way to show the two were still alive was the rising and falling of their chests.

A small mewl broke their trance and they both looked down. Curled up next to Sandstorm was a small black kit was dark red paws. The kit had only been born the day before. She was Firestar and Sandstorm's third kit, the youngest sister of Leafpool and Squirrelflight.

Sandstorm lowered her muzzle and gently nudged the kit. "Hush now, Ravenkit. Go back to sleep." Her voice had softened and there was now a warm purr in her throat.

Firestar sighed. "I think our fighting woke her up."

Sandstorm turned once more to her mate. "Please. I know I'm still weak from having Ravenkit, but I would feel better out on the field, even if I was just there for backup. Besides, I have my own reasons to go out there. This threat could hurt Ravenkit, and that's the last thing I want to happen."

Firestar said nothing, but simply looked down at the small black kit curled up next to Sandstorm. "Fine. You can fight. For Ravenkit."

Sandstorm's ears pricked up happily and she leaned forward and rubbed her muzzle to Firestar's. "Thank you." Sandstorm then turned her attention to Daisy, who was lying not far away from Sandstorm nursing her two kits. They had been born only a few days before Ravenkit. "Daisy, will you watch her while I'm gone?"

The cream long-furred cat meowed happily. "Of course I will, Sandstorm. Of course I will."

Sandstorm turned to face Firestar. "Let's get this attack going."

xxxxxxx

ThunderClan cats lay hidden in the branches of trees right above an open area. Claws flexed and hisses rose from the throats of cats ready for a fight. Lionblaze was in the clearing staring straight at the base of a tree. He was the one to lure out their target. With a loud battle yowl and a hiss to follow, he darted into an open area beneath the tree. A moment later, yowls of terror and pain rang through the opening. Lionblaze darted out of the whole, a fox following him. "Now!"

ThunderClan cats began to jump from the trees and landed on the back of the fox, clawing and tearing and biting at the vicious creature. Sandstorm was still up in the tree in a crouch, waiting for the perfect time to attack.

The fox yowled as cats came from every angle and attacked him. His eyes grew mad with fury and wide with pain. Sandstorm saw her opening and jumped square on the back of the fox. She dug her claws into the tender flesh and the fox yowled. He turned his head and snapped his large jaws at Sandstorm, catching her leg in his powerful grip. Sandstorm yelped and was flung from his back. The fox kept his grip tight on Sandstorm's leg and the she-cat writhed and yowled in pain. A loud crunch echoed in the hollow, followed by the battle freezing for a moment and a sharp yowl piercing the air.

"Sandstorm!" Firestar's gasp escaped just as his mate was flung across the hollow and she hit a tree, falling to the ground in a limp thump. Her leg shattered from the bite and her spine from the impact with the tree, she lay on the ground, still and unmoving.

Firestar's eyes went wild with rage. He flung himself at the fox, and clawed viciously at the muzzle and eyes of the beast. Angry yowls filled the clearing and every time the fox went to attack Firestar, the ginger cat avoided the attack and countered with a bite or scratch or attack more powerful than the one before it.

Firestar could see victory not far off as he aimed his claws at the neck of the fox. But blinded by his pure rage and determination to kill, the fox got the upper hand. Strong jaws grasped Firestar's neck and bit down hard, making Firestar yowl and claw at the fox's face. Scratching his eyes, the fox stumbled backwards and ran into the tree.

Lionblaze and Brambleclaw both ran at the fox, fangs bared and no mercy showing. A loud whimper, then the fox lay still. The clearing was filled with ThunderClan cats covered in injuries and panting loudly as they tried to regain lost breath.

A pained yowl rang through the clearing. "Sandstorm!"

All heads turned and watched as Firestar limped over to his fallen mate, who had not moved since the impact with the tree. Her eyes were shut and her body splayed on the ground.

Firestar began to weakly nudge Sandstorm with his muzzle. "Sandstorm… Please don't leave me…. Please." Blood gushed from the neck injury the fox had given him.

Jayfeather ran over to the injured leader. "Firestar, you need to be treated, now!"

But the ginger cat didn't move. He simply stared down at the limp body of the cat he loved. He hung his head. "I never should have let her battle."

Brambleclaw walked up to his leader. "Firestar…"

His voice went to a fade as his leader began to shake. His legs collapsed from under him and his breathing quickened. Jayfeather quickly began to lick the wound clean, trying to stop the bleeding. Leafpool had run off to quickly find cobwebs.

The whole Clan stared in horror as Firestar lay there next to Sandstorm. Slowly but surely, the cats eyes began to close. He took one last forced breath in, then lay still.

They were frozen in horror, having watched Firestar die in front of them. Jayfeather still demanded the cobwebs for when Firestar awoke, hoping that he was losing only a single life. But nobody moved. Jayfeather turned around, his glazed blue eyes staring into nothing. He could not see the saddened faces of his Clanmates. "Why is nobody helping!"

Graystripe walked over to Jayfeather and nudged his shoulder gently to show the blind cat he was right there. "Jayfeather… that was Firestar's last life."

Jayfeather froze along with the rest of the Clan. Their beloved leader and his mate were dead in the aftermath of a battle they both faced to save the kit they loved.

Back in the hollow, Ravenkit was asleep next to Daisy's two kits, Heatherkit and Lightkit. Unknowing of the death of Sandstorm and Firestar, Daisy was licking the small black kit to soothe her. "Don't worry little one. Your parents will be back soon."

That was just the first of the lies Ravenkit would experience in her life.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 is officially here. If you didn't see up in the little corner box last time, that was the prolouge. **

**Since Firestar is dead, Brambleclaw is leader. I was debating if I should make Lionblaze deputy, but decided against it because he was younger. Therefor I put Thornclaw. **

**The apprenticeship and kit life will be through fast in this story, due to the fact most of Ravenpaw's story and troubles are in her warrior life.**

**I'll stop rambling now and let you** **read.**

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><p>"Ravenkit! Wake up!"<p>

A small light brown paw prodded into the side of a sleeping kit. Her green eyes tiredly fluttered open to look at her littermate. Heatherkit bounced up and down and Lightkit sat next to his mother, watching Heatherkit annoy their smaller sister.

Ravenkit groaned and rolled away from her sister. "Leave me alone, Heatherkit. I'm tired." Her black fur turned to face her sister, the dark red of her paws being hidden underneath her. Lightkit, a pale golden tom, walked over to Heatherkit. He grabbed her scruff in his teeth and dragged her away from Ravenkit. "Lightkit! What did you do that for?"

Daisy outreached her paw and scooped up her two kits. "Let your sister sleep." Her voice was kind and a purr rumbled in her throat. She began to lick the top of Heatherkit's head to calm her down. So much never ending energy in one kit.

Ravenkit opened one eye to watch as her mother pulled in her two littermates to keep them away from her. She was grateful, but a bit sad. Daisy always favored those two over her. She guessed it was most likely because she was the runt. She was so much smaller than Heatherkit and Lightkit. But her thoughts were interrupted as a black tom entered the nursery. "How are my little warriors doing?"

Heatherkit and Lightkit scampered away from Daisy and over to Spiderleg, who had just entered the nursery. Daisy stood up and walked over to her mate, touching muzzles with him. The black tom then looked around. "Where's Ravenkit?"

The small kit scrambled to her paws and raced over to her father, jumping at his paws and purring. "I'm right here."

The cat purred and put his dark muzzle against her black body. "There you are my little one."

A sigh escaped Daisy. "Today is the day, huh? My kits are finally six moons old. They are going to be apprentice's now. I'm so proud." She nuzzled into Lightkit's side and the light golden kit gave a squeak and pawed playfully at his mother's muzzle.

A yowl was heard from the clearing and the three kits scrambled out of the nursery, Daisy and Spiderleg following proudly.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting." ThunderClan's leader, Bramblestar, was up on the Highledge. His deputy, Thornclaw, was down at the base of the Highledge looking out as the Clan began to assemble.

Heatherkit, Lightkit, and Ravenkit ran to the front and then sat perfectly still. Ravenkit was shaking with excitement and she couldn't help but let out a slightly inaudible mew.

Bramblestar's dark brown fur seemed to shine a bit in the sun. Maybe it was the fact the kits were so excited. And thus, the apprentice ceremony began.

"Heatherkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Heatherpaw. Your mentor will be Blossomfall. I hope Blossomfall will pass down all she knows to you."

Heatherkit looked around the clearing excitedly and found her mentor sitting not far away with an adoring look in her eyes.

"Blossomfall, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Hazeltail, and you have shown yourself to be trustworthy and quick. You will be the mentor of Heatherpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Heatherpaw."

Heatherpaw jumped up to her paws. She ran over to Blossomfall at touched noses with the tortoiseshell she-cat. Blossomfall then looked up from her apprentice and over at Foxleap, her eyes shining. It wasn't hard to see the cat was trying to get his attention. Heatherpaw's light brown coat was ruffling in excitement.

Bramblestar turned to face the next kit.

"Ravenkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Ravenpaw. Your mentor will be Foxleap. I hope Foxleap will pass down all he knows to you."

Ravenpaw's fur ruffled slightly and she flattened her ears in embarrassment. She turned to look at Foxleap, who was simply watching her with curiosity. Ravenpaw quickly snapped her head back to look at Bramblestar.

"Foxleap, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Squirrelflight, and you have shown yourself to be loyal and hard-working. You will be the mentor of Ravenpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Ravenpaw."

Ravenpaw walked over to Foxleap. Her ears were still a little flattened and the older tom gave a small laugh. They touched noses and he whispered in her ear. "Don't be shy. I won't bite." Ravenpaw's fur burned with embarrassment and she sat beside her mentor.

All eyes were now on Lightkit. Bramblestar didn't continue on with the ceremony, yet he was joined by Jayfeather up on the Highledge. A crowd of whispers went through the Clan and Ravenpaw began to feel bad for her brother. Why was his ceremony any different than hers and Heatherkit's?

Then Bramblestar looked back to the Clan and continued on with the ceremony.

"Lightkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Lightpaw."

He said no more, and everyone was confused. Who was Lightpaw's mentor? Ravenpaw was bristling with questions. But her questions were mentally silenced as Jayfeather came forward, his sightless blue eyes looking down at the Clan.

"Cats of ThunderClan, as you know, I will not be around forever. So it's time I took an apprentice. I have chosen a cat that has shown interest, loyalty, and cleverness. Your next medicine cat will be Lightpaw."

Another round of whispers was cut off as Bramblestar spoke. "Lightpaw, do you accept the post of apprentice to Jayfeather?"

Lightpaw's golden body was shaking happily. "I do."

Jayfeather then continued to speak instead of Bramblestar. "Then at the half-moon, you must travel to the Moonpool to be accepted by StarClan before the other medicine cats."

Bramblestar dipped his head. "The good wishes of all ThunderClan will go with you."

Jayfeather climbed off the Highledge and walked over to his apprentice. They touched noses and Lightpaw gave a purr.

The Clan then started cheering. "Heatherpaw! Lightpaw! Ravenpaw!"

Ravenpaw ran over to her brother, Heatherpaw right behind her. "Lightpaw! You didn't tell us you wanted to be a medicine cat!"

The golden tom gave a laugh and licked his sister on the ear. "Well I have been secretly talking to Jayfeather and Bramblestar about it. I wanted it to be a surprise!"

Heatherpaw playfully swiped at her brother's ear. "You're so weird, Lightpaw. But don't worry. Even if you are a medicine cat, you, me, and Ravenpaw will always be together."

Lightpaw purred and nuzzled his sisters. "Always."

Ravenpaw gave a happy mew.

_Always be together. _Another lie that would haunt Ravenpaw forever.


End file.
